Daily adventures of the Average Joe Driver road warrior

Tuesdays: Unspoken Etiquette

45South exit at South Loop

I thought Tuesdays would be a good day to share some of what I think are good Etiquette rules of the road. At least somewhere along the way, I learned them to be. Or perhaps I invented them in my head and expect my fellow drivers to honor them as we share the road. For today’s example I can give a specific example. Here in Houston there is a freeway exit I used to frequent and came into this scenario on many occasions.

The exit for 45 South (Gulf Freeway) at 6-10 (South Loop) is a one lane exit, and gets a long queue during traffic hours, which in Houston is pretty much all day. While the patient, courteous drivers wait in the line to get off of 6-10 and on to I-45, some drivers feel the need to drive all the way up to the last instant where there is no more room anymore, STOP, put on their blinker and insist on edging their way in. Now mind you I appreciate the use of the blinker, because ALOT of drivers don’t even extend that courtesy. However, what gives you the right to bypass waiting in the queue and basically cutting ahead in line?! In my earlier years, these culprits would have been met with a middle finger from me as well as my bumper riding forcing them to get in behind me. Small victory to me in my head. On one occasion a guy got all agitated, until I stopped and began to open my door, which triggered him to drive away and try this rude behavior again tomorrow. Ahhh to be young and wreckless.

Maybe this practice isnt a big deal, although it is a major pet peeve of mine. I have seen on one occasion a motorcycle officer forcing the people that tried to do that to move on. Not because of the sense of unfairness cutting in line, but because they are coming to a complete stop in an open lane on the freeway and could, and probably have, cause an accident just to save some time from waiting in the queue.

Please don’t become THAT driver that thinks they are better than everyone else. Trust me, I’ll shove my Ford Escape right up your Land Rover’s tailpipe. Driving a luxury vehicle doesnt give anyone impunity from respecting the people they share the open roads with.

AJD

by the way, that image is a photoshop attempt to show the scenario I was referring to, and is not an actual Google maps snapshot of it actually happening.

AverageJoeDriver.com

Welcome to the blog of your Average Joe Driver. I like to try my hands at repairs before shelling out the cash to overpriced techs. I also just happen to have the darndest luck with my vehicles. Enjoy reading about my family and mines adventures in our family friendly 2010 Ford Escape (its friendlier than the 2008 Mustang I traded in for the Escape). I may also reminisce, from time to time about past adventures in my previous vehicles.